NEWS
YOUNG WORKERS RISKING CHRONIC CONDITIONS FOR
PORTABLE DEVICES A generation of young workers are risking chronic conditions later in life because the draw of using portable devices is greater than their long- term health, a leading consultant on musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) has warned.
At IOSH 2018, this year’s leading safety and health conference, Katharine Metters will argue there is a culture where people don’t worry about the damage they may be doing to themselves until they suffer from pain. Many also believe, she says, that therapy can undo such damage.
THE REAL REASON EMPLOYEES CALL IN
SICK New research from health and wellbeing provider BHSF, has highlighted a hidden problem that is magnified by the stigma surrounding poor mental health. The research shows that 24% of employees worry that if they did need to take a sick day due to a mental health issue, they wouldn’t be taken seriously.
More than half of employees (56%) admitted to suffering from stress, a third from anxiety (36%) and a quarter from depression (25%). Despite 46% admitting that work is the main cause of their mental health problems, just 15% would tell their boss if they were struggling with an issue of this nature.
Dr Philip McCrea, Chief Medical Officer at BHSF Occupational Health, commissioned this research to raise awareness of employee wellbeing during Mental Health Awareness Week. He said: “The scale of this problem is huge – and it is being massively underestimated by employers, with employees feeling that they have to mask the issues they are facing.”
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Katharine, of Posturite, said: “Picture the scene. You are on a bus or train looking around and the majority of people are heads down on their laptops, tablets or phones. How aware are these people of the damage they are potentially doing to themselves? Do they know they may be causing themselves years of suffering with a chronic condition later in life? Even if they did, would they change?”
MSDs and other occupational health issues will be a key focus of IOSH 2018, the annual international conference organised by the IOSH, Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. In 2016-17, 8.9m working days were lost to work-related MSDs in the UK alone, demonstrating the huge loss it causes the economy as well as the impact it has on the lives of sufferers and their families.
Katharine believes that many businesses do recognise the issue, but potentially need to improve at driving the message through to employees and setting up the right culture.
She said: “People suffer pain and then we as a society pay thousands of pounds for treatment to deal with neck, back and other MSDs, but they won’t put their technology down or make simple adjustments – even if they are told this is the root cause of their condition.
“If they keep on sitting there, looking down, often gripping their device, they may well be on their way to further pain and a chronic condition when they’re older. Essentially, most of us don’t focus on these issues until it hurts and once it stops hurting we go back to what we did before.”
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Despite mental health being at the forefront of conversations in recent years, 27% still believe that a mental health problem would carry a stigma, with 36% scared of what their colleagues might think.
The new research also highlights the need for workplace support. The statistics show that just 21% of employees receive dedicated mental health support from their employer. Shockingly, this lack of employer
support has led to an average of 8.4 sick days taken each year due to a mental health problem.
Philip said: “Mental health problems do not suddenly materialise. The vast majority of individuals suffering from poor mental health will show obvious signs, which are easy to spot in the workplace. For employers, developing early intervention strategies is critical.”
www.BHSF.co.uk 9
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